Kampai!

Next topic: the Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden, um, just two weeks ago. At the opening ceremony the Consul General of Japan in Chicago, Toshiyuki Iwado, Mayor Francis Slay and other dignitaries broke open a cask of sake and passed samples to VIPs (which did not include your faithful photographer). There is no L sound in Japanese and, to the constant amusement of those who speak European languages, even the most educated struggle with it. Consul Iwado, whose English was otherwise flawless, offered his congradruations and invited guests to have a sip from their wooden grasses.

Then they passed some snorts to the entertainers. Nothing better than taiko drummers sloshed on rice wine. I think of the bottom pic as the Three Graces.